Can Zubeen Garg's photo be crossed out? Can it ever be written that he has died?
No, Guwahati BLO Mohammad Tafiz Uddin could not write 'dead voter' next to the singer's name and photo in the voter list. Instead, he wrote, 'You will remain immortal forever.' The photo of that page from the voter list has spread on social media. Zubeen fans are sharing it with tears in their eyes.
Special revision or SR work is ongoing in the voter list ahead of Assam's 2026 assembly elections. This is not SIR, meaning Special Intensive Revision of the voter list. In special revision, BLOs go house to house to verify voters' names and addresses. This is mandatory. However, documents are not demanded like in SIR. No citizen has to show proof of eligibility as a valid voter.
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BLO Mohammad Tafiz Uddin had also gone to Zubeen's house for this work. But his hand trembled when he went to put a cross mark next to the singer's name in the voter list. He could not do it. Instead, he wrote, "May you remain immortal forever. May your soul attain eternal peace."
Tafiz Uddin could not control his emotions while holding the voter list. Facing journalists in Guwahati, he said, "Zubeen is the soul of Assam. Our voice. That he is no more, this is not acceptable. So during voter list verification, I could not control my emotions anymore. What I did, I did out of emotion."
Not only that, but Tafiz Uddin also wrote in red ink about Zubeen's relationship with the singer's wife, father, and sister. Zubeen's sister, Pami Borthakur, uploaded that photo of the voter list on social media. Praising the BLO, she wrote, "This love gives us strength. Thank you, Tafiz Uddin, dada."
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Notably, according to Election Commission rules, when any voter dies, their family has to fill up and submit Form 7. After that, the commission removes their name from the voter list. A BLO cannot remove any name on their own. Apart from the family, if any voter from that booth submits that form, there are rules to take action accordingly.
Last September, Zubeen had gone to Singapore to participate in the North East Festival. There, he suffered a head injury while scuba diving. Police admitted him to the hospital in critical condition. Zubeen was kept in the ICU. But despite all efforts, it was not possible to save him. He died in a private hospital in Singapore.
